Archive for May, 2009

The Different Kinds of Stress

The Different Kinds of Stress

The Many Faces of Stress

Stress affects each individual differently, according to the cause and its effects. Therefore, there are different kinds of stress as recognized by clinical and research studies. It is important for an individual to recognize the cause of stress in order to know how to deal with it, and hopefully reduce stress levels. Moreover, each type of stress have different approaches to treatment.

Basically, there are three known types of stress: acute stress, episodic acute stress, and chronic stress. However, a fourth kind ? psychological stress ? is also becoming more prevalent and is considered as a legitimate type of stress.

Acute Stress

This is the most common form of stress, which results from the pressures one is subjected to in their everyday life. In small doses of acute stress, it can actually be beneficial to an individual. Think of athletes that are about to compete in an event. They experience acute stress, which triggers the production of adrenaline and giving them a burst of energy needed to perform their best.

The symptoms for this type of stress are easily recognizable and mostly affects a person only in a short term. Common symptoms include back or neck pain, muscular tensions, headache, rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, cold hands or feet.

Episodic Acute Stress

As mentioned above, acute stress is quite common to most people. However, there are a few others who experience it more often than others. These people are the ones who are so focused on achieving organization and yet always fail when it comes to performance. Therefore, it is not surprising that they often become irritable, if not with themselves then their initial environment. This also explains why they find the workplace quite a stressful environment.

Other forms of episodic acute stress are those people who keep worrying. They have become so pessimistic about the environment that they always project something wrong would happen. Hence, they end up feeling awful, tense, or anxious without having clear reasons for feeling that way.

Chronic Stress

This is the type of stress that wears one out. Plus, it builds up over time and can produce long-term effects on a person, whether emotionally or physically. Most forms of chronic stress are caused by trauma that they find difficult to let go and so it continues to disrupt their everyday lives.

One problem with chronic stress is that people often believe that it is something that is innate to them and that they cannot get rid of. Thus, it makes treating this condition difficult because it is often ignored by the person affected by it. It can, however, be treated through stress management procedures and behavioral treatment.

Psychological Stress

Stress has its own set of complexity. With the different types stated above, psychological stress concerns more of a person’s ability to respond to a given situation. To be specific, the loss of that ability. During dangerous situations, your body produces hormones known as adrenaline and cortisol that prompts the body to make a response.

Compare this to charging a battery that produces high voltage that must be discharged. In the case of a person suffering from psychological stress, the body fails to discharge that burst of energy that is produced. The continued raise in your heart rate and the production of adrenaline could result to fatal problems in your heart.

There are several reasons as to how one acquires psychological stress but it can include trauma suffered from an emotionally disturbing event in the past or other emotional anxiety. The problem with people suffering from psychological stress is that they tend to induce more stress in their lives by subjecting themselves to stressful situations. Today, several groups hold counseling to help those who suffer from this condition and regain control over their life.

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Stressful Jobs and Handling Them

Stressful Jobs and Handling Them

Stress is always a part of work. However, there are a few naturally stressful jobs due to the type of service or the industry to which they belong. Given that you are subjected to these stressors on a daily basis, it is important for you to find means in order to reduce the amount of stress you had to deal with. This will help you achieve a more productive and healthier working environment.

Medical Care Professions

Doctors, nurses, social workers, or medical assistants have an understandably stressful job. The nature of the job in itself is quite difficult, given that the health and well-being of others are put in your hands. Plus, there is an added pressure of their action potentially resulting to negative impacts to one’s health. Therefore, so much weighing in on their job that there’s almost no room for mistakes.

One way to deal with stress is to identify its source, in order to determine the proper coping mechanism to employ. This will also doctors and other medical professionals to learn how to cope with the possibility of committing mistakes while on the job since that is one of the leading causes of reduced performance levels.

Law Enforcement Jobs

As with the medical professionals, there are also a lot weighing on law enforcers. It is, after all, their responsibility to protect the community, maintain peace and order, and employ judicial efforts. That is aside from the personal security risks involved.

You can eliminate or reduce stress in your profession by giving yourself a break in between. This will allow your body and mind to recuperate from the amount of work you’d have to deal with. Since law enforcers typically have a lot of work on their itinerary, having proper time management and organizational skills will also help you deal with stress.

Teaching Professions

While there are a few who enjoy the teaching profession, it does reach a stressful level too. First off, dealing with a wide range of kids can be difficult, much more being able to successfully teach them. Inner city teachers are also considered being in a stressful job since these types of environments are rather harmful due to the high levels of crime known in these areas. On top of this, teachers are also expected to attain an emotional relationship with students as a vital aspect in learning. They are also under the close scrutiny of the community, which continually expects them to be role models in the society.

Teachers can deal with these stressors by trying these strategies:

? Be flexible. This will enable you to adjust to the differences in your students’ behavior and opening up more opportunities to build an emotional relationship with them.
? Set realistic goals. When you aim to teach your students something, you need to take it one day at a time. If not, then it will only frustrate you and lead to further stress.
? Take care of yourself, whether physically or mentally.

Jobs Involving Sales

This type of jobs are very stressful knowing that your employment lies on your ability to produce sales. Jobs involving sales therefore require you to meet high levels of standards and often requires you to deal with the public and their demands. Since most of the stress involved in this job is associated with the results, learn how to not focus much on the results. Instead, if you are really in line with sales, use your skills and creativity to get people to buy the products you are trying to sell. After all, potential buyers know how to spot hard sellers. And if you do end up one, you’d become all the more stressed out.

Telecommuting Jobs

This is one naturally stressful job description, from having to meet deadlines to taking care of multiple clients and their inquiries. One way to reduce stress is to examine ways in which you can produce more organization into your work. If you want to achieve more work in less time, you must try to keep off any type of distraction so you can work peacefully and at a pace that you like.

Whenever you feel stressed out, give yourself a break and do some deep breathing. Another contributor to stress is when you force yourself to speed up the pace. Try to slow down once in a while, especially when most of your deadlines are self-imposed. The less stress you have with the job, the more productive you become.

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Getting to Know the Reiki Hand Positions

Getting to Know the Reiki Hand Positions

With Reiki treatment, the energies are balanced so a new kick for life is furthermore promoted. Through all of these, the Reiki hand positions play a vital role.

As the treatment session is conducted, the hand positions are importantly executed. They are able to let the individual feel the strong sense of coldness, heat, tingling, or pulsations vibrating within him. It is also possible to be devoid of any sort of feelings. Reiki treatment may be performed on yourself or to another. The positions of the hand are definitely meant to cure the diseases that affect the parathyroid, thymus, thyroid gland, asthma, and the throat, among others.
If you have not witnessed an actual healing procedure, then you may not be familiar with the various hand positions. This article is going to give you an idea of what they are. Read on and find out below.

The first position is the hand that is placed on the face. To do this, you should put your palms either on your own face or on the person who is receiving Reiki. The palms should form a cup over the eyes while the fingers are on the forehead. There must be no pressure at all but only a gentle touch.

The second position includes the hand on the crown and on the top of the head. Both hands must be on the sides of the head whereas the heels of the hands are located near the ears. The fingertips must be able to touch the crown.

The third position is at the back of the head. Form a cross by using your arms. One of the hands must be on the head while the other one is above the neck’s nape.

The fourth position includes the touching of the heart and collarbone. Make a V-like shape with the thumb and fingers. You must be able to easily hold your neck via the V formation. Lower one of your hands and have it resting in between the collarbone and the heart.

The fifth has something to do with touching the jaw line and the chin as well. Again, let your hands form a cup and let your chin rest in it. Let your hands wrap themselves on your jaw line.
The sixth position includes your ribs. Put your hand on the upper portion of the rib cage and provide some support to the bended elbows. The other hand should be on the abdomen. Let your fingertips touch your tummy.

The pelvic area is included in the seventh position. Put your hands on your pelvic bone and allow your fingertips to touch your pelvic region.

Then the eight position concerns your shoulders. Bend your elbows and arms over the head and touch your shoulder blades with your hand. While your elbows are bent, put your hands onto the center part of your back.

The final position includes the lower back and the sacrum. Let your hands rest on your lower back. Lower your arms and then place them on the sacral area and then proceed to relax.

The main intention of the Reiki hand positions is to let the energy flow and retain its balance once more. A practitioner will not apply a heavy pressure on the body parts but will simply touch them to promote the general flow of the somehow trapped energies.

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Reiki Symbols Unfolded

Reiki Symbols Unfolded

What role do the Reiki symbols portray?

First and foremost, it is vital to understand the main role of these symbols. They are not ordinary in such way that they do stand for the sacred healing icons which are meant to improve the flow of the Life Force Energy. They are believed to be the keys that are able to open the doors to the higher level of manifestation and awareness. While the meaning that they denote may sound astounding, it is necessary for you to look at them in the same manner. After all, it is only by means of putting your faith in them that you will be able to achieve a different level of healing.

Where did they come from?

These symbols are derived from the Sanskrit language but which have taken the Japanese formation. The Sanskrit is considered to be the mother tongue of all the languages known to man. The Vedas own the language and Sanskrit forms most of the oldest writings. The Vedas claim that the latter is nonetheless the lingo utilized in the spirit world.

Why are these symbols shown?

Someone who studies these icons should be exposed to the forms and meanings of each and everything. The symbols likewise connect to the metaphysical energies. It is necessary to learn to associate every symbol with its corresponding purpose. Before a student gets attuned to the purpose of the use of the symbols, he has to understand that such procedure has been crafted with a strong sense of Divine covenant and the sacred connection must be maintained between the Creator and the one who is attuned.

The symbols also function using their own awareness. One can meditate on them and attain the guidance on their usage.

What are the involved symbols in Reiki?

The first symbol is called the Cho Ku Rei or the Power Symbol. Even in its absence, the Reiki Energy will continue to flow. However, as it is used, it is powerfully believed to heighten the amount of energy flow. It is centered at the treatment of the physical body and is commonly utilized at the very start of the healing session and at any moment that there is a need for more power.

Sei He Ki comes next and is the utilized symbol to address emotional and mental healing. It is also used for the purposes of purification, protection, balancing, and clearing. It targets the cause of any disease which normally lies in the subconscious mind or within the emotional body or within the conscious mind or the mental body. The healers believe that diseases are the manifestations of some things that need to be attended to and those which require mending. This symbol aims to correct the balance between the left and the right brain.

There is also the Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen. This is the symbol that transmits the Reiki energy across space and time. Meaning, the energy may transpire across the town, across the room, and even across several places all over the world. It transcends distance and can be used to connect time either in the past or future.

Dai Kyo Mo or the Master Symbol. The Light of the Buddha or the Light of the Awakened Heart is its primary essence. It denotes clairvoyance and wisdom which are important elements in the healing of the soul.

These Reiki symbols are considered sacred and are only to be employed by the rightful people.

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